The CIDER Fund, short for Central Illinois Disaster and Emergency Relief Fund, was created by and for farmers in Central Illinois who are experiencing acute and unexpected crises on their farms or in their homes and are in need of quick relief. The CIDER Fund offers payments to farmers with a fast turnaround when crisis strikes, such as disastrous weather events, fires, health emergencies, and more. These funds are meant to help our Central Illinois farmer community keep stable when things go wrong, with a minimal application, fast correspondence and disbursal, and no expectation or burdensome paperwork. 

Initiated by Cook Farm in collaboration with Central Illinois Young Farmers Coalition.

CIDER Fund Eligibility Requirements:

1. Is your farm within our Central Illinois region? See county list below.
2. Was your farm affected by an emergency a/o disaster? See definition below.
3. Did the incident result in significant damage or losses, despite reasonable and up-to-date farming and preventive practices?

Though not required, we recommend becoming a member of the Central Illinois Young Farmers chapter as well as the National Young Farmers Coalition.